30/3/2011 New York Dolls @ the Old Vic Tunnels

Subject	New York Dolls @ the Old Vic Tunnels
DateCreated	4/4/2011 2:46:00 PM
	This certainly looks like being an interesting gig. For a start it's the legendary and highly influential New York Dolls. The venue is a new one to the rock scene, but the architecture dates back to Victorian times. This place goes one better than 'beneath the arches' like under a railway viaduct - this venue is in some old train tunnels under Waterloo Station. Cool in one respect, as the place has plenty of atmosphere - but it's hard to imagine a less suitable place for a rock gig.  The acoustics were always going to be crap, but to be fair they do a good job of the sound mix in the circumstances and I've heard far worse at 'proper' music venues through vastly more expensive PA systems - the last couple of New York Dolls shows at The Forum for instance...  There are no proper toilets at all - just festival style Portaloos!  However, due to the nature of the bars I barely need to avail myself of the sanitary facilities. They have actually done quite well installing the main bar and it looks easy to get served quickly - if you are prepared to pay £4 for a small bottle of American lager that sells for £1.40 in Sainsbury's. I'm not.  It's effectively £8 a pint so they can stick that up their arse as far as I'm concerned. They are selling bottles of wine if you are that way inclined, but I don't bother to check the prices. Apart from wine there is a choice of bottled American lager or bottled American lager - no proper pints of anything and no beer that isn't yellow and watery. As it's fairly cold and dank in these old tunnels I don't feel thirsty anyway - which at least means I don't need a piss after my only Portaloo pee until I get home well after midnight. Oh yes, the New York Dolls are playing. Eventually. There's an indie sort of band on earlier - they seemed good at what they do but I was bored after five minutes. The onstage changover between bands is over quickly enough. And then we wait. And wait. The stage appears ready and the lights dimmed for nearly 25 minutes before the band see fit to take to the stage. It's gone 10.15 on this Wednesday night by then are people are getting pissed off - most have to get up for work in the morning and some of us have to travel from south of the river to the extreme Northern edge of the city to get home - some no doubt have a lot further to travel. The band wisely kick off with one of their old classics - 'Looking For A Kiss'. The sound mix isn't too shoddy considering the dodgy acoustics and the band include quite a few of the old favourites the fans want to hear in their set. The band's lineup has changed again recently, and the two surviving original members are joined by a new bass player replacing ex-Hanoi Rocks man Sammi Yaffa - who fitted in perfectly but is now back playing with his old bandmate Michael Monroe in his new band. Dolls guitarist on the first two 'comeback' albums Steve Conte is also now playing in the Michael Monroe band so missing from the new Dolls lineup. Interestingly, his place has been taken by ex-Bowie guitarist Earl Slick - a well known player in his own right back in the 80's. Earl manages to look far cooler and more rock 'n' roll than any of the other current members of the New York Dolls - he also plays on the band's new album. The only low points in tonight's set are the songs from said album.  I thought the band's comeback album was terrific - some great songs and hardly any filler. I found the following album a major disappointment - the title track 'Coz I Sez So' being the only good song on it. I don't think I'll be buying the new one... David Johansen is still a great frontman. He has the look, and the Jaggeresque moves - even if like Jagger he hasn't got a great voice. But like the man he stole his moves from, he has terrific stage presence. Sylvain Sylvain is - well, Sylvain Sylvain. A unique character as well as being the only surviving original Dolls guitar player. Maybe he gets a little too carried away being 'Sylvain' at times, but that's just his spiel I guess and although I find it gets wearing after a while I'm sure some people love him for it. He carries the load of playing more lead guitar in the absence of the late Johnny Thunders - even though both Steve Conte and now Earl Slick are actually far better guitar players than anyone else who has ever been in the band. Fortunately, more songs are played from the band's first comeback album 'And someday...' than the second. The strongest songs played tonight are from the band's first abum from back in the day - 'Private World', 'Trash', 'Who Are the Mystery Girls?'. Excellent player though Earl Slick is, it is apparent that he hasn't played many shows with the band since joining and hasn't properly learned to play all the old songs yet. Although he plays well tonight, some of his parts don't sound much like the guitar parts on the first album and at times it's hard to recognise the songs from the intros.This is particularly obvious on 'Jet Boy' which is almost unrecognisable from his playing, and Sylvain is obviously guiding him through the song. The distinctive intro to 'Personality Crisis' doesn't fare much better either. After 'Personality Crisis' the band leave the stage. Following demands for an encore Sylvain returns and asks us if we want another song? Someone tells him there is no more time - and he rants about the curfew before leaving the stage for the final time. If the band had taken to the stage on time instead of poncing about backstage and keeping us waiting then they would have had time to play several more songs... This is the fourth time I've seen the New York Dolls since they reformed, and after tonight's performance it will probably be the last time I bother as this was easily the poorest show of the four - certainly not worth the £35 ticket price. £15 would have been about right for what I saw tonight for the band's performance and the shoddy venue. I paid £35 to see Alice Cooper at the Roundhouse last year and that show was a much bigger more expensive production, better performed, more professional and so much better value for money in every way. Last year's New York Dolls show at Koko was FAR better than tonight's as well as being about £10 less for a ticket. I'm not in any hurry to return to the Old Vic Tunnels to see anyone else either....